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Trying to find who supplied OEM paint on 32 Packard.
My guess is DuPont or Ditzler???
Thanks
Richard

If you look in the data book it shows them buying paint from various suppliers. As well, given "special paint" was available virtually any company could be involved.

If you read the painting process involved it sheds light as to why today's base coat clear coat finishes, while durable beyond reproach, are a poor substitute for the old lacquer paint jobs insofar as appearance is concerned.

Rinshed-Mason was Packard's primary (not necessarily exclusive) supplier for many years, including from pre-war right up thru 1956. Whether that was the case as far back as 1932 I cannot say.

I'm planning on using PPG Acrylic Enamel, single stage when I repaint my '29 this winter. Currently wearing 20 year old lacquer, and typical of lacquer, it doesn't hold up well - the paint is blistered and cracking in a number of places.

I'm not a fan either of today's base coat/clear coat mile-deep paint jobs, they don't look right on the older cars. But, while lacquer can give you that deep finish, it simply doesn't hold up.

The secret to achieving the lacquer look with base clear is how you buff it. I recently painted my 32 901 with base clear using Metalux with Glamor clear coat. This is a mid range system. 4 coats of base, 4 coats of clear let it dry 3-4 days in prime conditions. Then cut it wet with 1500 then wet cut it again with 3000. Put your high speed buffer away and do it with a DA on medium speed. I used Mequires 105 then Mequires Correction Compound, followed by Black Hole, ( my car is dk green and black ). Then went back and did the buffing sequence again. This will bring up the shine but not as much as a high speed which will heat up the paint and produces that Pebble Beach gloss that everyone is complaining about. I used lacquer for many years and swear that this car looks like lacquer but will retain a shine that lacquer never can.

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You can clear over lacquer and it'll last better. The 15 coat lacquer jobs of yore are passe but was the "show car" finish du jour. You have to sand in between coats or you get too much build up and that's when it cracks. It not very flexible paint and low adhesion. You're more or less laying nearly dry coats on and there's no crosslinker / tielayer in lacquer.
I've never seen anyone to have catalogued the gloss numbers on the "as built" cars by year. I suspect the paint manufacturers would've and kept it secret. I go by what I see in movies, etc. Anythign that's survived that long won't look right now. So I don't think there's a reference, except in people's judgements which vary widely. I think the dealers would have prepped the cars they got from the factory anyway, so depending how good a detailer they had, would dictate what the car looked like.
GaryinSC that's a damn good looking car, from fishnjiminSC and I'm not a prewaree.

Here is a picture of a 30 year old paint job done in Bill Hirsch lacquer. I know it's just a picture and don't like the colors, but I think the paint looks great.

The second picture is a 50+ year old lacquer job.

With the lacquer jobs the color is suspended in the vehicle whereas the two stage method is a color layer with clear slapped on top of it. I remember Bob Turnquist's 31 that was originally maroon and beige which he redid maroon and silver that was all the rage at the time. The maroon part was the best lacquer job I've ever seen. Really beautiful. Like looking into the eyes of a beautiful girl. But the silver was two stage and it hit you in the face. If only he had done that car maroon and a beige that matched the convertible it would have been a knock out.

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I have both clear coat and single stage paint on my 32 Victoria and you can’t tell the difference which is which unless you sand or buff it. Plus no one can look at it and say it not lacquer by its luster. I would never consider lacquer for painting any classic auto. I have never been ask by the judges what type of paint it is.
I guess it’s your car and you can paint it with anything you want but the modern paints are so much easier to use.
Richard

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Well, I don't understand why who supplied Packard is important.

I will say this, there isn't a paint product anywhere today that can match the beauty of the old Packard Maroon because they didn't use the same materials in those days.